How to Make Your Own Scarecrow As a Fundraiser
A new idea to raise money for schools, small towns, churches and hobby groups is to hold a Scarecrow Day fundraiser. The goal of your Scarecrow Day is to have members of the community come out to make their own scarecrow after a small donation to your cause or group. While your group should supply the basic materials, participants are encouraged to bring their own old pants, shirts and gloves. With the scarecrows complete, you can hold a contest for the best one.
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Things You'll Need
- Tables
- Folding chairs
- Pillowcases
- Permanent markers, different colors
- Shoebox or plastic bin
- Five-foot poles (bamboo or 2-by-2-inch boards)
- Hammer and nails
- Safety pins
- Old shirts, pants and gloves
- Newspaper or hay bales
- Rubber bands
Instructions
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Set up tables in a large open room or field to form multiple stations. Have each table become one stop in the process of making the scarecrow so participants move from table to table as they work. Place six to eight folding chairs at each table to give plenty of seating.
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Collect pillowcases from group members or from thrift stores to use as the heads of the scarecrows. Place the pillowcases at one table with a shoebox full of different colored permanent markers. At this table, participants draw the scarecrow face on the upper half of a pillowcase before moving forward.
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Align two poles to intersect perpendicular to one another in a cross shape and nail the poles together. Set up a table or two and have a few group members stay at this station to help participants slide the pants they have brought up the bottom end of the vertical pole and slip shirts onto the horizontal pole. Have some extra pants and shirts available in case participants forget their own.
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Place a box of safety pins at this table for participants to attach the ends of the scarecrow shirts to the top of their scarecrow pants and pair the pillowcase head with the shirt collar. Be sure someone monitors this table for safety, especially if children are working there.
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Stack newspapers on another table or two or set hay bales nearby along with a box of rubber bands. Here, participants stuff the clothes with balled-up newspaper or straw through the sleeves and legs as well as fill the pillowcase head. Use the rubber bands to hold shut the ends of sleeves and pants once they are full.
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Have a final area prepared for staking the finished scarecrows and setting gloves on each end of the horizontal bar. With the scarecrows lined up in a row together, everyone can see the finished works of members from all over the community. When the event is over, participants can take their scarecrows home.
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Tips & Warnings
Hold donation drives well in advance of your scarecrow day to begin gathering supplies for the event. Many people are willing to turn in their old pillowcases and newspaper to get rid of them and help your cause. This is also a good way to gather old clothes for those who forget to bring their own.
To ensure your fundraiser is a success, be creative in your advertising methods by using full size or miniature scarecrows to draw attention to posters or banners.
References
- Photo Credit scarecrow image by Andrew Kazmierski from Fotolia.com
